Boat doing away with oars and rudder.



I. BASSFORD. BOAT DQINGAWA'Y WITH OARS AND RUDDER.

I .APPLIOAIION IILED'MAY 1B, 1912.

1,133,788. ,1 I Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR 720mm? a fi brd.

THOMAS IBASSFOBD, or ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO, CANADA.

BOAT DOING AW AY WITH OARS AND RUDDER.

- Application filed May 18, 1912. Serial No. 698,352.

Canada, have invented a. new and useful Improvement on Boats Doing Away with Oars and Rudder, of which the following specification, taken-in connection with the accompanying drawings, forms a full, clear,

and exact description, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same."

My invention refers to boat propelling and steering .gear or mechanism for small craft such as are generally propelled by one or more oarsmen.

In many rivers snags and narrow passages are a menace to cars, and the user is at a disadvantage when not facing the bow. Oar using leads to many accidents, and I use a" screw propeller instead, and I steer by causing the propeller to shift according to the turning of the boatmans seat. He will face ahead and turn hisseat so that he faces the object toward which he wants to go. Propulsion at considerable speed will be easy, and shallow waters can he traveled, also narrow and tortuous passages. Power is to be applied ordinarily by the feet and hands, actuating levers, but one hand alone would suffice to propel the boat. If the boat happens to have a petrol or like engine, the boatman may use his hands to attend to it, and use his chair to steer; and then if such engine were to stop or if it failed to start, he could use his limbs to drive the propeller. In this case there would be any suitable clutch devices provided to allow of the change being eflected from the use ofthe engine 'to that of the hand operated levers.

There have been inventions to perform some of the said operations, but I use difi'erent mechanisms or combinations as stated in the claim ending this specification,

In the drawings herewith Figure 1 is an elevation of part of aboat having my contical section on line y-y. Fig. 4 shows a able hull, and, j, is a propeller coupled to a struction. Fig. 2 is a plan, half in section on line a2zv. Fig. 3 is an end view in ververtical section on line a--z.- Figs. and 4 are on double the scale of the other'views.

In these drawings, a, indicates any suittail shaft, in, which is connected by a 'uniing bearings,

versal or suitable joint, g, to the mainpro peller shaft, k The latter has any suitable bearings, and carries a 'fiy wheel, k and is fitted with a gearing as a bevel toothed wheel, 1-, engaging another, 8', shown of larger diameter on a shaft or axle, s having a boss, 8 or crank, coupled by a connecting rod, u, to a rocking lever or arm, m, which 1s one of a pair, m, m see Flg. 4, both being mounted on a rock shaft, 0 or trunnions extending transversely and havp, in supports or brackets, g, on the boat. U

The axle, 8 has suitable bearings, and on the other side of the boat from part s is fitted with a crank or the like, coupled by the levers, m, m any suitable number of holes or other means of pedal adjustment,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 30 1915,

being provided. There are also two hand grips to each lever, on, m each top one, 72., n being permanent and'the lower ones being adjustable in any suitable manner as by means of holes, m in the levers, m, m

A lower hand grip, n is shown in Fig. 1.

Pedals and hand grips areadjustable at will to suit the different personswho may wish to work the levers. v

A rod is at will run through opposite soles, m, to allow of its being gripped either between levers, m, m, or at either or both sides. These grips can also be seized and used by persons not in the seat mentioned. The bar, a also joins the tops of levers,

by a person in the seat or otherwise.

0' is the operators seat having a flanged un er in, 0 which as seen in Fig. 4 is rotatab e in a flanged sleeve, 0 secured to a transverse support, I), attached to the boat. Ball bearin'gacflare provided as shown.

To bolts, 0, which secures the seat to the flange of pin, 0 are secured the front ends of respective chains, wires-or other connections, d, shown crossing one another with rear ends secured to a sprocket chain, 6 which engages a sprocket wheel, 6 fitted on a steering spindle, 7, which is shown with a head, f, usable if required for direct -m, m, to allow of a grip being taken of it ico hand steering, in which case connections, d, are slackened or disengaged if the seat, 0, is in use, v

This spindle, 7, extends through the stuffing box bearing, a", and is coupled to a part of universal joint, g, so as to cause tail shaft,

h, tovswing as the spindle is turned. Tail shaft, k, is supported as by passing through a bearing in the shoe, Z, the shoe being slidable as spindle, f, turns, in a slot or the like in a guide bracket Z secured under the boat stern.

- a is.a stufling box, with bearings, which optional.

(like part, (1 is to keep Water from leaking into the boat.

The invention is not limited as to the number of parts used, and there will thus be, in some cases, in the same boat, several sets of levers in any convenient positions, with if desired a plurality of seats, all the levers being usable simultaneously to operate the main shaft, or any one of them, but only one seat-being connected to the steering means described.

In Fig. 2 the connecting rod, u is partly hidden by decking or the like, a, through which it passes and the use of which is Having thus described this invention, I claim v A manually propelled seat steered boat comprising a boat, a longitudinal propeller shaft extending through the stern of said boat, a stub shaft, a propeller upon the free end of said stub shaft, a universal joint between the adjacent ends of said stub and propeller shafts, an arcuate guide bracket spacedly secured to the stern of the boat and having a longitudinal slot therein, a shoe substantially rectangular in crosssection slidably-mounted in said slot, the stub-shaft being journaled through the shoe and said shoe' being positioned at a point between said propeller and joint, a vertical shaft connected at its lower end directly to the outer and stub-shaft portion of the universal joint and extending upwardly through said bolt, and means for turning said shaft in the steering operation.

. In testimony whereof, I have signed in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

THOMAS BASSFORD. Witnesses:

T. J. EDMUNns, E. BEDFORD. 

